For this challenge, I felt that I couldn’t just make another 1940s dress. I mean, really, I don’t even need a 1940s-themed challenge to do that. So instead I decided to make the quintessential 1940s play and work uniform — denim overalls. Like most weeks, I started these at the last moment and omitted an important step — washing the fabric. We’ll learn more about that problem later.

For anyone who is scared of attempting slacks and overalls, they really are quite easy — or at least the construction is easy. It’s the fitting that usually is the really pain for us seamstresses. I would have to say that if I bought overalls off the rack, they probably wouldn’t fit much better than these. I have a ridiculously exaggerated hour-glass figure and finding any sort of pants that can handle my upper thighs and hips is a real challenge. Because of this, I’m glad of how these ended up fitting.

I made the shirt about two years ago and though I don’t remember many of the details of its construction, I know that it’s Simplicity 1554. Dude, I just typed that pattern number from memory. That’s how often I use that thing. I had originally planned to wear the overalls without a shirt but then felt that they looked a bit more period with one.

And now, my reference to the washing (and the post title).

Because I hadn’t wash the denim, the blue dye used rubbed off on my hands during construction. I wish I would have taken a picture, but my hands looked corpse-like. Because of this, I made sure to line the bodice and wore the thing with tights underneath. Yesterday, I wore this outfit to the Maker Faire and by the end of the day, my hands had returned to their charming Smurf-like palor. Every time I interacted with someone, I had to explain why my hands were blue. So, moral of the story: wash that fabric!

Whether or not I wear this outfit again depends on how much it shrinks when I wash it. There’s just so much of my body I’d like to highlight in a full-body jumpsuit. That said, I thought I looked fine enough wearing it out yesterday.

Hehe Smurftastic overalls!! these are fantastic Mena and for only 25cents? that’s bananas, you certainly know how to thrift a bargai,n I made a pair of these about 4 years ago and still wear them. Lucky you thought about lining the bodice spoiling the blouse would of been a bummer. I think the proportions look spot on. You look great Smurfette.

Very cute! I just found a 40s overalls pattern at an antique store recently and am thinking of marrying my favorite Smooth Sailing trousers from Wearing History with the overall bodice. Really love that you made these–I do think they’re cute! ;)

This is cute! I really like the shape of the top part. Much more flattering than the contemporary ones!
I once repaired the coat pockets of my flatmate with denim as he had worn through the original ones quite fast. He developed smurf hands, too and thought at first he was getting ill. :D

About the Sew Weekly

The Sew Weekly began as Mena Trott's attempt to document the process of sewing all of her own clothes in 2010. In 2011, four other contributors (Debi Fry, Adey Lim, Veronica Darling & Sarah Gabbart) joined her and for 52 weeks, they sewed based on a particular weekly theme. In 2012, The Sew Weekly became a much larger group blog with over 130 contributors sewing along each week.